Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter: Dixie Hemingway Mysteries, Book 1

Dixie Hemingway is a pet sitter for some of Florida's most pampered pets. But when she happens upon a man drowned in a cat's water bowl, Dixie's sleuthing powers from her time as a deputy sheriff return full-force. And as more bodies keep turning up, she'd better find out whodunit.

Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund

When a dachshund she's walking digs up a dead body, she realizes the person she's just waved to, the one speeding away in the dead man's car, may be the murderer. Although Dixie can't ID this mysterious driver, the killer got a good look at her - and Dixie's life is in danger.

Home of the Brave: Raine Stockton Dog Mystery, Book 9

Raine Stockton and her high-spirited, big-hearted golden retriever, Cisco, are accustomed to being heroes wherever they go. But there's a new dog in town, and Raine and Cisco find themselves upstaged by a flashy K-9 addition to the sheriff's department. Nike and her handler, Jolene, are part of a new government-funded program. Though Raine admires Nike's talent almost as much as she resents Jolene's arrogance, she wonders why the Department of Homeland Security would send such an expensive gift to their sleepy Smoky Mountain community.

Little Shop of Homicide: A Devereaux’s Dime Store Mystery, Book 1

Dev Sinclair is the happy new owner of the old-fashioned shop in her small Missouri town. But if she doesn't focus on finding the killer of her ex's fiance, this five-and-dime owner may find herself serving 25 to life.

Stiff Penalty

Deputy coroner Mattie Winston knows a thing or two about dead bodies. That's why she's on the case of Derrick Ames, a high school math teacher stabbed to death with a barbecue fork straight to the heart. Sure, she's turned up some motives and a few suspects, but nothing adds up. Especially when the evidence points to Ames's teenage son. Newly pregnant Mattie can't believe it, even as her own long-estranged father may be following her.

If the Shoe Kills: Tourist Trap Mystery, Book 3

As owner of Coffee, Books, and More, Jill Gardner looks forward to the hustle and bustle of holiday shoppers. But when the mayor ropes her into being the liaison for a new work program, 'tis the season to be wary. Local businesses are afraid that the interns will be delinquents, punks, or worse. For Jill, nothing's worse than Ted Hendricks - the jerk who runs the program. After a few run-ins, Jill's ready to kill the guy. That, however, turns out to be unnecessary when she finds Ted in his car - dead as a doornail.

Mission to Murder: A Tourist Trap Mystery, Book 2

Jill Gardner, proprietor of Coffee, Books, and More, has discovered that the old stone wall on her property might be a centuries-old mission worthy of being declared a landmark. But Craig Morgan, the obnoxious owner of South Cove's most popular tourist spot, The Castle, makes it his business to contest her claim. When Morgan is found murdered at The Castle shortly after a heated argument with Jill, even her detective boyfriend has to ask her for an alibi. Jill decides that she must find the real murderer to clear her name.

Lowcountry Boneyard: A Liz Talbot Mystery, Book 3

The 23-year-old heiress from one of Charleston's oldest families vanished a month ago. When her father hires private investigator Liz Talbot, Liz suspects the most difficult part of her job will be convincing the patriarch his daughter tired of his overbearing nature and left town. That's what the Charleston Police Department believes. But behind the garden walls South of Broad, family secrets pop up like weeds in the azaleas.

The Diva Takes the Cake: Domestic Diva, Book 2

Sophie Winston's sister, Hannah, is getting married - again! And if you ask Sophie, her future brother-in-law is no prince. But is he a killer? That's the question on everyone's mind when his ex-wife is found hanging from a pergola. This is one event Sophie and her sister hadn't planned on.

Murder in the Mystery Suite: Book Retreat Mystery, Book 1

Tucked away in the rolling hills of rural western Virginia lies the storybook resort of Storyton Hall, catering to book lovers who want to get away from it all. To increase her number of bookings, resort manager Jane Steward has decided to host a Murder and Mayhem week so that fans of the mystery genre can gather together for some role-playing and fantasy crime solving.

With Baited Breath

With sadness, Tori Cannon learns that the bait shop and small motel her grandparents ran has fallen on hard times. Jammed into one of the motel's units is a body, his mouth filled with spikes. Tori's friend, Kathy, arrives to help spruce up the property, and the two find themselves mixed up in the petty jealousies and deadly consequences that murder entails. Can they save the bait shop and find a murderer or will they, too, sleep with the fishes?

Nickled-and-Dimed to Death: A Devereaux’s Dime Store Mystery, Book 2

Devereaux Sinclair loves running her old-fashioned store in her small Missouri hometown. If only murder didn’t keep landing on her doorstep.… Dev’s five-and-dime may be doing well, but her love life is in turmoil. She’s torn between Deputy U.S. Marshal Jake Del Vecchio, who is on an undercover assignment, and her ex-beau Noah Underwood, the local doctor from a high-society family. So she welcomes the distraction when Elise Whitmore offers her a deal on antique chocolate molds that would be perfect for her Easter gift baskets. But do the molds actually belong to Elise’s soon-to-be ex-husband?

The Wolfe Widow: Book Collector Mystery, Book 3

Vera Van Alst, the infamous curmudgeon of Harrison Falls, New York, doesn't normally receive visitors without appointment, but she agrees to see the imperious Muriel Delgado upon arrival. Shortly thereafter, Jordan is told that her position is being terminated. Evicted from the Van Alst House, Jordan is determined to find out what hold Muriel has over her erstwhile employer.

toaMystery Reader says:"shut yourself in a closet and lock the door! "

Dying for a Cupcake

Kizzy Cutler finds it so delicious to be back in her hometown of Shadow Bend, Missouri, that she seems to have forgotten why she fled 20 years ago. For now, she's excited to kick off her new line of cupcakes with a competition, which Dev has agreed to host in her shop. But before the first yummy cupcake is even baked, Kizzy's assistant, Fallon, dies from a mysterious ailment.

Caught Dead Handed: Witch City Mystery, Book 1

Most folks associate the city of Salem, Massachusetts, with witches, but for Lee Barrett it's home. This October she's returned to her hometown - where her beloved Aunt Ibby still lives - to interview for a job as a reporter at WICH-TV. But the only opening is for a call-in psychic to host the late-night horror movies. It seems the previous host, Ariel Constellation, never saw her own murder coming.

The Diva Paints the Town: Domestic Diva Series, Book 3

When Sophie Winston's neighbor - a reclusive professor - dies, his final wish is for the Domestic Diva to throw a dinner party in his honor, and he's planned everything down to the letter. But what no one planned for is the corpse of a student that Sophie finds in his house...or the mysterious will that shows up asking the question: Did the professor cover up a huge crime?

Dead Between the Lines

Opening an old-fashioned five-and-dime shop in her small Missouri hometown has been a great change for Devereaux “Dev” Sinclair. But when she hosts a reading group there, she learns that bad writing can mean life or death. To keep her new business in the black, Dev opens up her shop to local clubs. But in the first meeting of the Stepping Out Book Club, the speaker storms out after members attack his poetry’s sexism and scorn for small towns.

Guidebook to Murder: Tourist Trap, Book 1

In the gentle coastal town of South Cove, California, all Jill Gardner wants is to keep her store - Coffee, Books, and More - open and running. So why is she caught up in the business of murder? When Jill's elderly friend Miss Emily calls in a fit of pique, she already knows that the city council is trying to force Emily to sell her dilapidated old house. But Emily's gumption goes for naught when she dies unexpectedly and leaves the house to Jill, along with all of her problems...and her enemies.

Working Stiff: Mattie Winston Mysteries, Book 1

When Mattie Winston catches her husband Dr. David Winston receiving some very special loving care from R.N. Karen Owenby, she quits her job and moves out. Mattie's best friend Izzy offers her a place to stay and suggests she'd be a natural as deputy coroner. Now, instead of taking patients' pulses, Mattie's weighing their hearts and livers. But Mattie's first homicide call turns out to be for none other than Nurse Karen, and even though she saw her ex in a heated argument with the newly deceased the night before, she refuses to believe David could be a killer.

High in Trial: Raine Stockton Dog Mysteries, Volume 7

A weekend competition turns deadly in this seventh Raine Stockton Dog Mystery. While Raine and Cisco stalk a killer, back home a 20-year-old mystery is unfolding--one that will have devastating consequences for Raine and those she loves. And every hour that passes brings a deadly threat closer.

Board Stiff

Sorenson, Wisconsin's deputy coroner Mattie Winston is back on the job...in a nursing home examining the body of Bernie Chase - the now former president of the Twilight Home's board of directors - who is covered in a powder used to turn liquids to solids. The home's residents are certain Bernie was offing the patients who cost him too much...and the patient that found him can't remember a thing.

Frozen Stiff: A Mattie Winston Mystery

Deputy coroner Mattie Winston knows everyone in the charmingly small town of Sorenson, Wisconsin - except the latest body discovered in a desolate field. If a woman this attractive had moved into town, the news would have surely hit the gossip mill in record time. So who was the murdered femme fatale? Whose knife was left planted in her chest? The mystery deepens when detective Steven Hurley takes one look at the body and turns as white as the newly fallen snow...and excuses himself from the case.

Scared Stiff: A Mattie Winston Mystery

When Deputy Coroner Mattie Winston and her boss/best friend, Izzy, are called to the home of waitress and part-time model Shannon Tolliver, they find the ghoulish Halloween decorations a bit too authentic. Among the fake blood and skeletons is the corpse of Shannon herself. Since the whole town knows Shannon recently had a very public spat with her estranged husband, Erik, he's suspect number one. But Mattie happens to know Erik truly loved his wife, and is simply incapable of the brutal act - even if he owns the exact same caliber handgun as the murder weapon.…

Tail Gait

Spring comes to Crozet, Virginia, with a bang when a professor is gunned down in broad daylight. Now it's up to kitty sleuths Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, along with crime-solving corgi Tee Tucker, to sniff out the killer.

Death of a Coupon Clipper

Hayley Powell, food and cocktails columnist for Bar Harbor's Island Times, is...well, kind of broke. So when she's selected for that extreme coupon-clipping reality game show coming to town...she's thrilled, especially when her competition is nasty nurse Candace Culpepper. But when Haley stumbles across a face-down-in-the-snow Candace - scissors gleaming between her shoulders - she knows the next thing she'll be selected for will probably be a police line-up.

Publisher's Summary

Dixie Hemingway is a pet sitter for some of Florida's most pampered pets. But when she happens upon a man drowned in a cat's water bowl, Dixie's sleuthing powers from her time as a deputy sheriff return full-force. And as more bodies keep turning up, she'd better find out whodunit.

When I first saw the cutesy title I wasn't too sure if I was making the correct choice. Since I have loved mystery stories beginning with Nancy Drew that are solved by women I continued with my purchase. "Dixie Hemingway" is one heck of a crime solver. I cannot wait for future books. I am hooked. Oh, and despite the cute title, it's a rather dark mystery at times.

Living in Sarasota made listening to this book extra nice. It was a gripping story but light, like the "Alphabet" murder books of Sue Grafton. The book went far too fast. I am sorry that the author, Blaize Clement, died this summer. I hope Audible will record more of her books.

Where does Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Hard to say but a really pleasant read.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the years I lived in Sarasota! This was like a trip down memory lane for me. I loved following along the roads I knew so well. I had a Siamese cat from Nokomis who had kittens, one of whom was named Ghost by my friend in Tampa who adopted her, so I found it funny there was a cat with the same name.

What about Julia Gibson’s performance did you like?

Great voice for the characters. Can't imagine anyone doing it better.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Crime wave in Sarasota, Florida!! Seriously, one book has more crime than the average year in Sarasota, Siesta Key hardly had enough going on to make the Herald.

Any additional comments?

Why isn't the whole series in audible format? It should be. I'm having to download the rest to Kindle and actually wear out my eyes reading.

I can't tolerate poor narration, formula romance or bad writing so it is hard to find a murder mystery with minimum foreboding, gore and disgusting details that isn't insipid and/or boring. This book had interesting characters, their back stories were revealed nicely, the narration was good, there was a plot (and murder) but it wasn't "heavy". It's also hard to find a good book with a pink cover.

This is my first Dixie Hemingway Mystery but it will not be my last! Since I live in Sarasota where the action takes place I felt right at home in the middle of all the scenes. Julia Gibson gave a great performance. Was a good mystery, written with good comical plot yet touches a lot of serious emotional avenues to cruise down with a great twist at the end. Loved Dixie's relationship with her animal characters and her devotion to seeing that they were well taken care of. All the characters were nicely fleshed out. I highly recommend this book and will let you know what I think of the next one. I have high hopes for this author. You go Blaize Clement!

I am so glad to have found another series that is just what I look for when listening to books. Entertainment with some mystery but not gruesome and always a bit of humour without being silly. I am looking forward to the next books.

Would you consider the audio edition of Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter to be better than the print version?

Yes, the audio is very nice.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter?

Every new encounter Dixie has is memorable because she has such a different way of bonding with people - or not.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

All the moments with Dixie interacting with her animal clients are moving. She shows such sensitivity to their needs.

Any additional comments?

This is a rare change from your usual "character turn sleuth" story. Dixie comes with a skill for "detecting" and knows what she's doing. The baggage she carries around seems just a bit heavy, however.

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